​​​Kenneth M. Mercado

Senior Vice President, Electric Operations

​Current Position: As senior vice president of CenterPoint Energy’s electric utility business, Mercado has financial and operational responsibility of the company’s 5,000 square-mile service territory, as well as power delivery to more than 2.4 million homes and businesses in the Houston metropolitan area.

Previous Positions: Prior to his current position, he was senior vice president of Grid and Market Operations, responsible for automating and integrating the company’s nearly 53,000 miles of electric transmission and distribution grid to serve the Texas competitive market. He was also responsible for the deployment of a smart grid system, which includes the installation of smart meters and intelligent grid technology.

In his more than 30-year career at CenterPoint Energy and predecessor companies, Mercado has held numerous leadership positions in engineering and operations in the company’s electric utility business.

Education and Accreditation: ​Mercado received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering and a master of science degree in industrial engineering from the University of Houston. He also received an Executive MBA degree from Mays Business School at Texas A&M University.

Affiliations and Honors: A licensed professional engineer registered in the state of Texas, Mercado serves on the boards of the March of Dimes in Houston, the American Red Cross Greater Houston Area Chapter, the University of Houston Honors College and Engineering Leadership Program, Southeastern Electric Exchange, the Research Advisory Council at Electric Power Research Institute and the Advisory Board at Texas A&M Smart Grid Coalition.